Derry Township schools add safety procedures, equipment

Beginning this fall, visitors to Derry Twp. School District buildings must push a buzzer and present photo identification to enter the doors — new steps in the district’s continual mission of student safety.

School districts across Pennsylvania for years have locked their main entrance doors during the day, screening visitors before they entered.

Derry Twp. will finally take that step this year, following conversations with several community members and parents who want to see increased security. Out of these conversations, the district was notified of a program called School Gate Guardian, which for a minimal software fee provides computerized visitor logging and tracking, and immediate detection of registered sex offenders or those under protection from abuse orders.

The technology requires the scanning of a driver’s license or other identification. The visitor’s information is captured, and a detailed visitor’s badge with a photo is immediately printed out. For regular volunteers and frequent visitors, key-tags for quick scanning will be issued.

There are 900 volunteers in the district.

“Is it fail-safe? No,” said Bernie Kepler, assistant to the superintendent, “but it is an added measure of safety that many districts in the commonwealth are already doing.”

Derry Twp. does operate security cameras at the doors and in strategic spots throughout the buildings.

The 1995 Safe Schools Act and Act 36 of 1999 task schools with maintaining safety for students. At Derry Twp. schools, visitor logs are maintained, but are currently on paper and often are not legible. Sometimes visitors forget to sign in, and there have been noted cases of people using aliases or not taking it seriously. Visitor badges are supplied, but the time stamped on them often smudges and wears out.

The new program will eliminate those problems and also will allow the district to track tardy students and early dismissals.

Lisa Sviben Miller, director of safe schools and student services, said School Gate Guardian also provides more than “visitor regulations and management.”

Miller said the district considered implementing School Gate Guardian last year, but damages caused by September flooding pushed it to the back burner.

The locked entrance doors will be implemented immediately, while School Gate Guardian will be slowly introduced and implemented throughout the year.

Officials plan to communicate with residents, parents, the PTO and other officials about the changes to get their insight and let them know what will be taking place.

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